WTA Championships Day 1: Serena, Azarenka and Kvitova begin their campaigns

It’s finally time for the crème de la crème of WTA to give every ounce of their grit and determination to have that one last shot at glory before the season gets over. For some it is a grand opportunity for redemption, for some it might be the best chance to remind tennis aficionados that the resolve and dauntlessness are still there and for others it is another window of opportunity to add to an already overflowing resume.

After a grandiose opening ceremony where the eight ladies – Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska, Li Na, Petra Kvitova, Sara Errani, Jelena Jankovic and Angelique Kerber dazzled and vied for attention, the stage is now set for the battle of the brave and the survival of the fittest. Evening matches with a boisterous crowd in the exotic city of Istanbul – the ambience can’t be more throbbing and it definitely serves the fans a chance for a scrumptious feast for a week.

Even though the absence of 2004 champion Maria Sharapova has taken a little bit of sheen away from the Championships, there won’t be any dearth of drama when the elite lock horns with each other. The round robins kick off today with three fantastic matches in the offing. Let us have a look at these.

(2) Victoria Azarenka v (6) Sara Errani (Head-to-head: Azarenka leads 6-1)

This match is just what the doctor ordered for Azarenka! It is the perfect way to bury the bitter memories of an embarrassing Asian swing and start swinging with confidence again. As the World No. 2 points out, “It’s nobody’s fault, just a learning experience for me,” she surely has learnt from her mistakes and is ready to reassert her supremacy again. Given the group that she is in, (the White Group) the Australian Open champion couldn’t have asked for a better draw. And for her, perhaps Sara Errani is just the right opponent to start things off.

Even though the Italian No. 1’s last win over the Belarusian did come on an indoor hard court way back in 2008, since then it’s been Azarenka all the way. Azarenka has been quite menacing in their last five matches with each of them finishing in straights sets. Sara, the slightly built of the two plays a heavy topspin game and she can mix it up well being an excellent doubles player. But Azarenka’s powerful returns and swift movement definitely doesn’t help the Italian’s cause. Plus she has struggled for consistency post Wimbledon and has repeatedly talked abut the pressure to perform at the highest level. What’s more worrying for Sara is her 0-19 career record against the Top 3 players.

Prediction: Azarenka wins in straight sets.